Current Redskins Salary Cap Status - 2009

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by CrazyCanuck

The question is how long can we expect to rely on this core group of guys?

Of the top 20 cap hits for the Skins in '09, 17 have played at least 7 seasons already (Landry, Cooley, Rogers are the others). How many more shots can Portis take? How many more years can Fletcher carry our defense? This is not a young group and it's not getting younger.

The Skins have 2 choices IMO:

1. Play for 2010-2011 and make a REAL commitment to youth. Keep Landry, Campbell, Cooley, Rogers, Betts, and the recent draft picks - and jettison the rest. As Gary Oldman said in "The Professional": "EVERYONE!!!" Take the billion dollar deadcap hit in 2009 and set ourselves up with a new young core for 2010 and beyond.

2. Continue with the same strategy and try to make one more serious run with this group. Bring in free agent stopgaps to fill our holes on the lines and elsewhere and hope Campbell and our other young guys progress to the point that we can be serious NFC title contenders within the next 2-3 years.

Hate to say it but after years of painful mediocrity, option 1 is starting to sound really good to me. But we all know the odds of option 2 are about 99.9%.

Of those 17, why does it have to be an immediate firesale? Option 1 seems kind of excessive. Can't we just gradually (over the course of 2 or 3 seasons) jettison those older large cap hits based on some hybrid formula of declining productivity and size of cap hit? Maybe that's kind of what you're suggesting in option two.

I say sign stopgaps but make sure they're relatively young and be smart with their contracts, don't piss away draft picks for old and/or questionable talent, and continue to get younger through the draft.

[CrazyCanuck]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Of those 17, why does it have to be an immediate firesale? Option 1 seems kind of excessive. Can't we just gradually (over the course of 2 or 3 seasons) jettison those older large cap hits based on some hybrid formula of declining productivity and size of cap hit? Maybe that's kind of what you're suggesting in option two.

The problem is we have a lot of age at a lot of positions. So in 2008 a guy like Jansen drops off the cliff and we have to replace him. Rabach may have to go too. Then next year maybe Thomas loses another step and we need an upgrade there. And how long does Samuels have left? We can bring in a couple Kendalls, but in two years we need to replace them again. Our 2010 O-Line is not looking very good right now.

On the D, Griffin, Daniels and Washington might have to go this year. Springs is probably gone. Fletcher's played 11 seasons already so he's gonna need some real help real soon. Taylor is likely gone and/or only has a couple semi-productive seasons left in him. Andre Carter's entering his 9th season in 2009, not exactly a spring chicken.

If you take out all the guys I mentioned in the next couple years what do we have left? And if you keep moving different guys in and out, it's really hard to build a cohesive core.

Plus the Skins track record on trades in less than stellar to put it kindly. We always pay too much, and make dumb moves like spending a 2nd rounder for Taylor, only to trade a younger and more valuable Moss for that same 2nd rounder a year later...

I kind of feel like flushing the system in 2009. Maybe we add a few select vets like Moss, Portis, Fletch, Samuels to option 1 and dump everyone else. Jansen, Thomas, Daniels, Springs, Taylor, Washington, Griffin, Smoot, Rabach all gone. If you're not looking like a solid contributor in 2010 I don't want you here. Eat a big chunk of deadcap this year and clean the books. Try to get as many picks as possible and let Zorn build the team he wants from the ground up. See which rookies stick and build from there. Spend the big money in a couple years when we're hopefully only a couple pieces away.

Look I'm just speculating/venting. I'd be very surprised if we did a real housecleaning. But maybe a 4-12 regroup season would serve us best for the long term.